The Moisturizer That Banished 2 People’s Redness and Inflammation in 10 Days

Every beauty expert says the same thing. The best way to know if you should buy a product and the best way to figure out if a product is going to work for your skin is to check un-biased reviews.

Meet Michelle and Anita, new contributors to The Klog who are just as obsessed with skin care as you. Here’s what they thought of one of Soko Glam’s most popular curations: The SKINRx Lab MadeCera Cream.

Anita, 34-years-old, oily/dehydrated skin

First, tell us about your skin.

I have been dealing with acne since I was in middle school, and as I aged, my acne has decreased a lot. That was until I gave birth to my first child about seven years ago. I started to get painful acne around my jawline and neck, AKA hormonal acne. At first, I didn’t know what it was; I thought I was just having random breakouts that would never really go away. People told me to change my diet, so I did. But it didn’t change my skin condition much. Finally, about two years ago, I realized that my hormonal acne would flare up before, during, and after my period or when I am in heavy-polluted place.

Aside from suffering from painful and embarrassing hormonal acne, I also have other skin issues. I have oily dehydrated skin (I never knew such a condition actually existed until half year ago), acne scars, skin texture, uneven complexion, and my skin is sensitive. I easily get flushed when my skin is exposed to hot or cold temperatures, and I also have some fine lines and skin elasticity issues.

What are your thoughts of the SKINRx Lab MadeCera Cream?

Packaging:

It comes in a pretty fuchsia pink tin tube, which I like because it’s very convenient to use, reduces the risk of leaking, and is just more hygienic. Although it comes in a tin tube, it is easy to squeeze out the product.

Texture:

It looks like a white cream but it’s actually a very light pink cream and has a slightly gel-like characteristic to it.

Scent:

There’s a light flowery scent and there’s fragrance included but it’s not overpowering and it didn’t linger after application. The good thing is that fragrance is listed as last in the ingredient list.

Finish:

It spreads out easily on my skin but it takes a while to absorb. It tends to sit on my skin and gives a slightly tacky finish that will dissipate after a while. It’s not to the extent where you want to wash your face again and it didn’t make me feel uncomfortable at all, but I know there are some people who dislike tacky finishes. It didn’t give me any greasy feel but rather a satin finish with a subtle glow.

How I used it:

I used this cream for 10 days straight in my morning and nighttime routine as the last step to seal in all the hydration I’ve layered. The first time using it, I squeezed some out and dotted it on parts of my face and neck before I gently massaged it in with a patting motion. I found that it’s easy to use too much with that application method and I would sometimes end up with a slightly greasy finish after a couple hours. So I developed a new method to use less of it. I would squeeze a pea-sized amount into my palm, rub it between my palms, and then gently massage it on my face and neck with a patting motion. It works better that way.

Sometimes I applied an extra layer on drier areas, like my forehead. A little goes a long way.

While testing out this cream, I didn’t use any other skin brightening products or sheet masks. I did use spot treatments and pimple patches (I was having my time of the month while testing it), but that’s about it. My skin care routine also remained the same for these 10 days. This is all to ensure that nothing would affect the result of this cream.

Anita’s results:

Right before I used this cream, I had a major breakout. My hormonal acne flared up and this cream helped calm that down a lot. Usually, after my hormonal acne flares up, my skin is left with acne scars and I’ll incorporate vitamin C in my nighttime routine to help fade the scars, but this time I didn’t. After a week of using this SKINRx cream, I could see that my red scars had faded tremendously. I still had some new pimples that popped up, but it was all due to my hormones—this cream itself didn’t break me out or clog my pores.

After using this cream, I don’t wake up with tight forehead anymore, which is hard to achieve lately due to cold weather and dryness from my central heater. Though my skin is still a bit oily, the amount of oil production has decreased a lot.

I also realized that my skin has become softer and smoother. Usually I exfoliate my skin at least one to two times in a week but I only exfoliated once in these 10 days. My skin is glowing even more lately and there is less redness on my cheeks.

As for anti-aging, I haven’t see any visible improvement on my fine lines since I have only been using it for 10 days. However, my cheeks feel bouncier and plumper.

Anita’s bottom line:

This cream is a game-changer for me! Though it might be a bit heavy to use in warm weather or humid areas, I would still use it, but only at nighttime. If you want to look for a multi-tasking product that can help brighten, fade, and calm redness, while also strengthening your skin barrier, you might want to give this a try.

Michelle, 44-years-old, dry/combination skin

What kind of skin care issues were you dealing with before trying this product?

I grew up in the 90s to early 2000s in the West coast, where having a tan was sexy and necessary. I happen to have very white, pale Asian skin and I was always criticized for it everywhere. For this reason, I never wore sunscreen on my face. Actually, I made it a priority to save money so I could go to tanning salons (and yes, I dyed my hair caramel blonde). Now, I’m in my 40s and I am paying the price!

My main concerns are discoloration, age spots, redness, and uneven skin tone caused by sun or UV damage, aging, and yes hormones too; I also have severe dryness, discomfort/sensitivity, and more redness/irritation during the winter season. I have a lot of fun with my skin in the winter trying to figure out which product is the most soothing and the most hydrating.

How would you describe this product?

SKINRx Lab MadeCera Cream has a soft white rich texture; the cream feels very smooth, it’s soothing, and it melts upon application (I did not feel any stickiness). I do smell a hint of a botanical herbal-like scent, but it’s very light and subtle.

How did you use this product in your routine?

I did nothing different in my winter skin care routine except replace my moisturizer with the MadeCera cream twice a day. My routine consisted of double cleansing, applying toner, using a propolis essence, a serum (vitamin C, retinoid, or peptide), the MadeCera cream in both the morning and night, and then my sunscreen during the daytime.

Initially, on the first night, I thought, “this may not work for me in the winter,” since it doesn’t seem to be moisturizing enough during the prickly harsh winter nights (it was not “as rich in thickness” as my prior moisturizer). It was not until the second morning after washing my face that I observed the reddened areas around my nose and cheeks were so much less red and my skin appeared calmer and smoother (and not angry).

Did it change your skin?

I hated my skin in the winter! Every day when I’m outside I would deal with “cold, icy, prickly breeze smacking your face” weather and then enter my home and my face would be blasted with suffocating, dry heated air. My plan was to really try to get rid of my angry, irritated, and sensitive skin. I’m truly glad I was introduced to this moisturizer.

I’m not saying this cream was the magical sword I found in the magical forest, but I am saying it really is a gem (especially during harsh winters). My before and after pictures only depict one and half weeks of consistent use; it has not even been a month and my skin is calmer, smoother, and a lot less red (which is a big deal to me). My husband and daughter even said, “Your face looks smoother.” So, yeah, I got their stamp of approval!

What would you change about the product?

Right now, I would not change anything about this product. I like it the way it is. However, skin care is not simple…my skin is always changing its course.

What is your skin like now?

My skin is calm right now and not angry. Its smoother and I also have less bumps around my chin area.

Who do you think the product is for?

I am a huge fan of ceramides for mature skin! The ingredient list for this product has a lot to offer aging damaged skin and definitely for someone who has uneven skin tone.

Michelle’s bottom line:

My before and after photos (in such a short period of time) reflect how my skin feels. Yes, I like this product…a lot. I’m loving the star ingredients (ceramides, niacinimide, and madecassoside) all packed into this one tube. I enjoy the texture, and oh yeah, it’s not sticky! Actually, it feels very soothing.